


Roman Holiday

by nerdypipsqueak



Series: Requests, drabbles, short stories [54]
Category: A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia (1990), Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Fluff, Holidays, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:00:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21860590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdypipsqueak/pseuds/nerdypipsqueak
Summary: Feisal takes Ned on a well deserved vacation.Set in the Modern Royalty AU Nobody Asked For.Written for the 2019 Advent Ficlet Challenge. Prompt: escape.
Relationships: Faisal I of Iraq/T. E. Lawrence
Series: Requests, drabbles, short stories [54]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1391215
Comments: 7
Kudos: 7
Collections: 2019 Advent Ficlet Challenge





	Roman Holiday

When I stroke Ned's exposed ankle he snuffles and tries to shake me off but doesn't wake. I tickle his foot gently, a trick that usually works. But not today. Today Ned just kicks at me and curls further into the bedding. I climb into bed and settle behind him, working my way under the blanket.

"Rise and shine." I slip my hand under the Jesus College t-shirt Ned likes to sleep in and gently stroke the soft skin on his stomach. 

"Wha'?" He slurs, wriggling against me as if trying to both get closer and get away.

"Well hello there." 

"'Timezit?" He mutters.

"Time to get up." I answer. "We've got a plane to catch."

"Plane?" Ned sits up, carefully angling himself so that his morning breath doesn't hit me.

"Yes, my sweet. We are going on holiday. You've been working yourself dead and I think you need a little... escape."

"But Feisal, I've not packed, I've only just sent the book off..." 

"Don't you worry about a single thing." I get up and pull him out of bed. "Your suitcase is packed and waiting. Rania is coming to babysit Zeid and we are going to Italy for a month."

"A month?! Feisal, you shouldn't have..."

"Nonsense. I'd give you the Moon, Sun and all the stars."

"I don't need them. I've got everything I could ever want right here." He gives me a quick hug, then heads to the bathroom.

I like Italy. The climate is pleasant, the people friendly. Ned gets loads of attention from the nonnas, something I find especially amusing and sweet. They pinch his cheeks, stroke his hair and call him _piccolino_. 

We eat out a lot, I've made a point of taking Ned to a different restaurant every evening. He usually doesn't care what he eats as long as it's not meat but on this holiday he's become rather adventurous with his food. I love watching him eat, discover new things. I could watch him forever.

We go to ruins, castles and churches. A paparazzo snaps a picture of us at the Forum Romanum, Ned talking about the architecture while I listen with a besotted smile on my face. Later that day I see that very picture on someone's Tumblr blog, coupled with the one from Ali's wedding and captioned: I want someone to look at me the way Prince Feisal looks at Mr Lawrence.

We go to museums. We play a game: pick a portrait and try to create a backstory for the sitter. I make my stories as historically inaccurate as possible: Fornarina lost her phone, how will she take a selfie now? Michelangelo's obviously skipping leg day at the gym. And so on. Ned laughs so hard he has to sit down for a minute.

He's happy.

And I?

I'm looking at rings.


End file.
